2 dead, 2 wounded after West Pullman, Austin shootings

Staff report

An 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man were fatally shot and two other people were wounded tonight and this morning in shootings on the Far South and West Sides, authorities said.

Earl Cunningham, 18, of the 12200 block of South Union Avenue, was pronounced dead at 10 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and he suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Cunningham was initially taken to Christ with an 18-year-old woman who was also shot and both were said to be in "very critical" condition, according to police and the Chicago Fire Department.

The two had been walking when two males approached them and opened fire, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said, citing preliminary information.

The alleged assailants fled on foot, and no suspects are in custody, Greer said. Area South detectives are investigating the shooting, which authorities believe may have been gang-related.

Cunningham's death marks the 440th homicide of the year.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

Paramedics were called to the 12200 block of South Union Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood at 7:02 p.m. for the two victims, according to Meg Ahlheim, a fire department spokeswoman.

They were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in "very critical" condition, said Ahlheim.

Cunningham suffered multiple gunshot wounds while the woman was shot to the body, said Police News Affairs Officer Daniel O'Brien.

A 21-year-old man also was wounded during a separate shooting in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

Paramedics went to the scene in the 5300 block of West Kinzie Street at 6:25 p.m. and took one person to Mount Sinai, also in serious to critical condition, Alheim said.

At about 9:15 a.m. police responded to the 500 block of North Lamon Avenue and found a 19-year-old man shot, police said.

Devin Harris was taken to Mount Sinai for a gunshot wound in the head and was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.